Well, maybe not problem. I enjoy working with wood and have a long affinity for custom sanding and shaping. I have replaced the handles on modern axes (and hatchets and splitting mauls and pick axes. And shovels and sledge hammers and….dang, someone around here is tough on handles)
Most of those fitted without much effort. Garden rakes have actually been the most difficult. Perhaps “surprised” or “unanticipated” are more appropriate.
Relax and enjoy through your fingers the kinship you are sharing with men who are now dust, both you and they worked and are working at the same task.
Take it slow, just about everybody who's ever done what you're doing, has found that you can take a little more off but you dang sure can't put it back!
Rob, very well put. The more time I spend with this axe the more convinced I am of its provenance, and pondering a woodsman doing what I am doing 100 years ago made for a fine mind-wander while sanding and shaping.
Of course I am doing so slowly in my nice warm shop, and taking several days to do so. Very slowly; I have a half dozen other projects large and small in various sequential stages in the shop. Well, not days; actually months since I started this refurbishment back in October.
Envisioning the who, what and where mental image of the first time this handle was replaced is all the encouragement I need to make it as worthy as possible.
I did make one unanticipated non-error in sequence. I kept meaning to sharpen the blade while I was looking for a handle, but never got around to it. dang good thing; I’d have sliced something open while fitting and refitting the handle.
I’m liking it so far, and will have to take it out to the woodpile when finished.
